I’m looking for advice from parents who have been through something similar.
My daughter is 12 and has recently had a comprehensive neurodevelopmental assessment. The conclusion was that she does not meet the criteria for autism or ADHD, but she has been diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), so I’m really looking for experiences from families of children with severe anxiety rather than suggestions that she may be neurodivergent.
Over the last 5–6 months she’s gone from being a happy, sociable child who loved school to becoming extremely anxious, unable to attend school and emotionally overwhelmed.
The last few evenings have really frightened me. As soon as bedtime comes and she has to go to her room, she seems to fall into what I can only describe as a deep emotional hole. She sobs hysterically, says she feels lonely and desperately sad, withdraws, and on one occasion repeatedly banged her bedroom door while crying. During these episodes she seems completely overwhelmed, but once they pass she often goes back to being herself, almost as though nothing happened.
During the day she’s generally still able to laugh, enjoy things, spend time with us and engage in activities she likes. It’s these intense episodes that are becoming more frequent and worrying.
She hasn’t started her periods yet, so I’m also wondering whether puberty could be making everything much more intense.
Has anyone else’s child with anxiety had emotional episodes like this? Did they come in waves rather than being low all the time? Did therapy (particularly CBT), time, puberty settling down, or anything else make a noticeable difference?
I’m feeling quite overwhelmed and would really appreciate hearing from parents who’ve experienced something similar.